E is for Eagles

Another band that I have my father to thank for, this was one where he’d set me down in front of the stereo with big ol’ headphones and put on a record. I remember their Greatest Hits album above all but I know my parents had most if not all their records. This is a band I consider highly approachable; anyone could find a song to like in their extensive library. You know, when I am not listening to very loud and fast guitars and double bass, I enjoy a little bit of soft rock; country rock, if you will.

The first song I can ever remember liking was Witchy Woman because it seemed kind of dark and mysterious, yet fun. But honestly, every single song on that album is a banger, in my opinion. I’m partial to Desperado and Best of my Love but – confession time – if I were making a list of men whose voices I am drawn to, Don Henley is like, first or second. Oddly enough, I know. (George Clooney is right up there too) I was always partial to his songs but of course, Frey had some great ones too. These songs are relatable and can easily become the soundtrack to one’s life.

Once, maybe in 1999, my roommates and I were out driving down Centerville road at night. We were young college kids and we pretty much stayed in our little corner of campus. We lived in apartment in the same vicinity and never ventured out to where the “real” people lived in town. Well, we were out driving one night on this dark as hell two laner, just for the fun of it, and on the radio came Take it to the Limit, a personal favorite of my mother’s. As we cruised down this road, passing dark swatches of trees interspersed by warm, cozy homes of middle classers, all little up pretty, I felt incredibly lonely and missed my mother. I had become used to living away from my family by this time but I really remember this moment so clearly; the sense of longing for my mother back home paired up with the look of the houses in this neighborhood that I had never seen before made me feel a longing for the stability those two things represented. A couple days later, I drove out to the same neighborhood by myself just to look at the houses. There was something very comforting about them; I wish I could find words to embody the homey feeling they gave me then, when I was 20 years old.

Fun fact: I now live in that neighborhood!

The Eagles are a tried and true classic GOOD band and I have never met a person who hates them. I am sure they exist but I think they’d be hard-pressed to give a valid reason for doing so.

From 2003-2006, the Eagles did a farewell tour and I managed to catch them here in Tallahassee. At the time my roommate, Chris, was dabbling in acoustic guitar and he accompanied me, and my then boyfriend/now husband to the show at the civic center. We had shit tickets but our friend Drew worked at the civic center in some capacity and moved us waaay closer. It was a great show and while I don’t remember it vividly, I do remember thinking how good they sounded live. You know, some bands are just great live and others, not so much. They either play too fast or you see them at the end of a tour when voices are shot. But the Eagles really sounded amazing and I am so glad I was able to catch them, especially before Glenn Frey passed.